General Anesthetic or not?

[Lost Sheep]

I am scheduled for implant surgery November 6 and just found out I have a choice between General Anesthetic or a Spinal Block for a 90 minute to two hour operation to give me my first penile implant.

I read that most of you have had General Anesthetic (and the "wake me when it's all over" approach does have its attraction to me). Do any who have had a spinal block for the operation have any advice? Any who had the General?

I Don't have to decide until the day of the operation,so have a little time to mull it over and could use your learned counsel.

Being semi-aware for over 90 minutes while a surgical team work on my nether regions is a little scary, but I do like to be involved as a participatory patient. Besides, if I get freaked out, I can always ask to be put under, though once the spinal is in place it carries with it certain effects I would not have if I go for the General right off the bat.

I know Dr. Eid sees merit in (sometimes) having the patient conscious in certain circumstances I don't know about Dr Kramer or others.

Nor do I know what are the indicators or contra-indicators that influence the decision.

Pros and cons, anyone care to share with me and the forum?

[radioradio]

Hey Sheep,

I'm an absolute geek who loves the science aspect of this (and other) procedures. I watched videos of robotic prostatectomies over and over again before I had mine. Same for the implant procedure.

And I thought it was really cool to be in the "twilight zone" rather than completely unconscious for my heart catheterization.

But NFW I was going to be any kind of awake for the implant. It was bad enough knowing that a whole bunch of people would be seeing, washing, cutting, poking a measuring tool into and stuffing latex cylinders into my little Bob. No way I wanted to watch any part of that when it came to my dick, even if I couldn't feel it.

I asked to be put as far into the twilight zone as possible before I even entered the OR, and consequently I don't have any recollection of anything past the rolling down the hallway watching the overhead lights zip by. Next thing I knew, I was waking up and thinking, "well, there's no going back now; sure hope this works." If I had had my druthers, I would have been put under the day before, right after the consult, and awakened maybe three weeks later.

But that's just me. And I'm a bit of a pussy.

Bob
2.3

[Greg1956]

My doctor told me it would be general anesthesia. I was OK with that decision, but a part of me wishes there wouldhave been a way I could watch the surgery. I am not squeamish and had watched quite a few Implant videos and found it fascinating.

[radioradio]

My doctor told me it would be general anesthesia. I was OK with that decision, but a part of me wishes there wouldhave been a way I could watch the surgery. I am not squeamish and had watched quite a few Implant videos and found it fascinating.

Greg,
I found the videos fascinating, too. But they were somebody else's dick.
Bob 2.3

[nudist]

i am glad to see this question.
I am scheduled Nov 3 and have been fully conscious for heart caths, colonoscopies and knee surgery and would like to be for this procedure. my Dr. doesn't seem agreeable, however. I really do not like general anesthesia and I also like to learn everything that is being done to my body so that I can better evaluate any resulting difficulties I encounter. the "everything went well" summary when you wake up is insufficient for me.
I hope someone who had a spinal and was fully awake will chime in on this thread.

[cincinnatus1951]

Guys: To chime in from a total layman. I had a titan inserted in 2016 and had general anaesthesia. have no experience personally with spinals or saddle blocks. My wife had an epidural about 40 years ago when my youngest daughter was born and it did not "take". I don;t think that is much of a problem now.
When I awoke from my surgery, I was lucid and knew what was going on right away, had no complications at all.
When you select a surgeon for your implant, I would say use his/her recommendation. You are hiring a skilled technician for this work, don't push him out of his comfort zone.
Even if you do have one of the spinal block types of anaesthesia, I understand they give you versed or demarol in addition, so I doubt you would be awake/lucid for the surgery.
I'd discuss it with the doc and take their recommendation. Good Luck.
Cincinnatus

[medhatg]

My advice is to go spinal following Dr. Eid's advice on his web site. While I was given the choice and choose general, after the surgery, I was reading the materials on Dr. Eid's web site where he recommends spinal. His reasoning was that spinal relaxes the penis muscles and let the blood flow hence the sizing can be easier. In other words, spinal get the penis is a kind of erect state. With spinal you can be sedated, so you won't feel a thing, so don't worry about freaking out.

[sliphill]

There is no way I would have it done awake!

[medhatg]

There is no way I would have it done awake!

You won't be awake. You'll be completely sedated. If having spinal would help to get properly sized, then it is the way to go. Many of the issues presented in this forum are due to "under sizing".

[Lost Sheep]

There is no way I would have it done awake!

I hear you, and all the others expresing similar sentiments.

I had surgery on my foot in the 70s. A decade later I was looking in some medical books and saw pictures of that surgery. They were in black-and-white and it wasn't even my foot and they made me squeamish.

However, the potential for maximizing the optimization of the implant is compelling. I read on Dr. Eid's website the advantages of the spinal block and communicated with him by email as well.

A temporary risk of temporary discomfort during the operation and a few side effects after in exchange for benefits that promise to last a decade or more is very persuasive.

Besides, if I get to be too uncomfortable, I can always ask to go under. The drawback with that is that I wind up being subject to BOTH sets of potential side effects to the block and to the general.

I have until the morning of the surgery to decide. Right now I decided to go with the block with the general has a backup, but I relate my thinking to my surgeon and follow his advice.

I will keep reading this topic for at least the next week, until November 6th, for sure.

Thanks to all for your thoughts an advice. You are a great help and assurance to me